Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

Proposal for Plot Based Plant Phenology Sampling in Puale Bay, Alaska (Adapted from Long Term Ecological Monitoring Program, Vegetation Sampling Protocols 2006)

Stacey E. Pecen U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Peninsula/Becharof NWR, P.O. Box 277, King Salmon, AK 99613

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Phenology, the timing of major biological events during a plant or animal’s life, can be monitored to detect changes in climate. Major events are called phenophases: leaf emergence, flowering, fruit ripening, and senescing. According to Menzel and Estrella (2001), plant phenology studies have shown that the average growing season is increasing by 0.2 days/year. It is especially important to monitor changes in higher latitudes, such as Alaska, where global warming is expected to occur earlier and at a greater magnitude (Henry and Molau 1997). The Northern Hemisphere (above 40o N) has experienced an increase in temperature of at least 0.5oC/decade from 1966-1995 (Serreze et al. 2000, Euskirchen et al. 2009). Monitoring species abundance and diversity is also vital. Environmental conditions dictate the composition of plant communities. Changes can occur over time, disrupting the balance of these interactions. In a nine year study at Toolik Lake, AK, Chapin et al. (1995) found that species richness declined 30-50% when the mean temperature was increased by 3.5˚C. Forbs and grasses decreased in abundance while woody species, such as Betula spp., increased. Changes in species abundance in regions of the arctic, as a result of warming, were also noted by Euskirchen et al. (2009). An increase in deciduous shrubs was observed, while moss and lichen declined. As the temperature increases, species may move to higher elevations in order to maintain habitats within their temperature tolerances, thus changing species density in affected areas (Root et al. 2003). Currently, there is not a long-term vegetation monitoring program in Alaska Peninsula/Becharof National Wildlife Refuge (AKPB NWR). A relevant plant phenology goal in the CCP includes Goal (31): Work with partners to contribute to understanding of climatic changes and their effects on refuge resources. Plant abundance and composition can be monitored with Goal 2 (21): Assist the Service’s Alaska regional botanist in completing the

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010 vegetation community classification for the Refuges. Implementation of a plot based method for monitoring plant phenology, composition, and abundance would help to accomplish these goals.

PLANT PHENOLOGY Site Selection During the 2010 Puale Bay field season, observers surveyed six habitat types looking for target plant species. These habitat types included wet meadow, intermittently flooded alluvial deposits (creek bed), camp, hillside, cliffs, and a high disturbance area (runway). Each of these areas was surveyed for maximum diversity and high densities of plants found on the phenology monitoring species list (Appendix A). At favorable locations according to these criteria, GPS coordinates were taken (Table 1). Plant species observed in each proposed phenology monitoring plot can be found in Appendix B. The concept of plot based sampling was not formulated until mid-season, thus species displaying early phenophases may not be included in the plot species lists. It was found that this design was sufficient to capture most target species between the six plots. GIS locations, representing the northwest corners of potential plots, are presented in Figure 1. Plots will be 10 x 10 m (100m2) and should be permanently marked for future use.

PlotLatitude Longitude Plot Camp 57.74603 ‐155.62326 Plot Runway 57.74699 ‐155.62665 Plot Creek 57.74461 ‐155.62459 Plot Wet Meadow 57.7358 ‐155.63087 Plot Saddle 57.74978 ‐155.62044 Plot Cliff 57.75095 ‐155.61476 Table 1. GPS coordinates for suggested phenology plot locations in Puale Bay, AK

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

Figure 1. Location of suggested phenology plots in Puale Bay, AK

Survey Methods

Plants will be monitored each week for phenology. The target species for phenology are presented in Appendix A. Only species within the plots will be monitored. Once a species has been encountered in a plot, it is not necessary to monitor that species in subsequent plots. Individual plants will be monitored according to the National Phenology Network (NPN) protocols, with data sheets available at www.usanpn.org. Minimizing bias toward early flowering individuals can be accomplished by identifying plants before flowering occurs.

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

SPECIES COMPOSITION AND ABUNDANCE

Site Selection

Using GIS (Arcmap 9.3), 50 points were randomly selected within 1 km of camp. The elimination of points in unsuitable areas; the ocean, beach, rock/gravel areas, barren ground, rock/cliff faces, areas with high disturbance, and any points within 100 m of the creek; resulted in 20 remaining plot points (Appendix C).

A field crew will visit these points in numerical order to verify suitability. Distance to camp will not be a consideration. After five plots are selected, in accordance with wilderness rules, they should be permanently marked for consistency. These permanent markers will represent the center of the plots. Once the plots have been established, crews can revisit them in whichever order they choose.

Survey Methods Species abundance and composition will be studied with a point intercept technique. At each of the plot locations, a circular plot with a 10-m radius will be used. From the center of the plot (designated with rebar or another permanent marker), using measuring tape, extend four 10- m transects in each of the cardinal compass directions.

Along each transect at 0.5 m intervals, species composition will be assessed, resulting in 80 points per plot. Construct a 2 m sampling pole out of ¼ in. PVC pipe. Mark the pole at one meter, resulting in two strata. At each sampling point, vertically position the pole on the right

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

side of the measuring tape, facing the pole forward for consistency. Starting from the top of the pole and moving downward at each transect point, all species will be recorded, along with the height stratum it touches (one or two meter) (Appendix D). This will give an indication of species presence and abundance. An individual should only be recorded as hitting the pole once, but multiple individuals should be recorded as such. Depending on high or low investment in the project, individuals can be keyed out to species or family levels, respectively. If an unknown specimen is encountered, collect an identical specimen from outside the plot for future identification. If there are no species present at a point, record it as “No species present”. Percent cover can be obtained by counting the number of times a species touches the pole during the four transects and dividing it by the total number of plot points, which is 80 points (Point Intercept (PO)) (Appendix E). Repeat for all plots. Any species encountered within the 10 m radius, but not hit during the point counts should be recorded as additional species present. These plots will be monitored once between 15 and 31 July of each sampling year.

BENEFITS/DRAWBACKS By incorporating a multiple plot/transect quantitative method of sampling, over multiple years, inter-annual variation should be adequately documented and allow managers to detect major changes in localized plant community composition and abundance. These methods would also allow for easier plant recognition and more consistent observations of phenology. Having two plot sets (phenology and abundance/composition plots) will also reduce pre- survey trampling by observers. Construction of these plots provides an opportunity for additional monitoring. Vertical structure of vegetation can be monitored more intensively within the point intercept plots by marking the pole in one centimeter increments to measure plant height. Substrate type at each of the plot points could be sampled using a point intercept method. Soil sampling could also be conducted, depending on future objectives. There are several drawbacks to implementing this type of project. It will be more labor intensive and require more time in comparison to the current phenology monitoring system. Currently, the National Phenology Network (NPN) does not have the majority of these species in their database. As a result, phenology data cannot be submitted. Recommendations to include these species have been given to the network, but future follow-up is required.

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

During the 2010 field season, monitoring individual plants proved difficult. Frequent rain and wind resulted in low or absent flower and fruit production in several monitored individuals, and flags and individuals were often removed or killed by wildlife. The difficulties associated with monitoring an individual plant could be reduced by monitoring plot populations. This, however, is not part of the NPN protocol and may exclude the dataset from inclusion in the NPN database. If data is not collected for inclusion in the NPN database, the data sheets in Appendix A can be used for monitoring.

CONCLUSION Implementing a plot based phenology method would be beneficial. The use of this plot based method will minimize search time for plants in the future and decrease data biasing towards early flowering individuals of each species. Utilization of this method will allow observers to gain familiarity with plants and identify them during vegetative stages. In addition to reporting phenology data, species abundance and composition data would be gained. With the concern over global warming, consistency in plots would allow changes to be noticed and tracked over time.

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

LITERATURE CITED

Chapin III, F. S., G. R. Shaver, A. E. Giblin, K. J. Nadelhoffer, and J. A. Laundre. 1995. Responses of arctic tundra to experimental and observed changes in climate. Ecology 76: 694- 711.

Euskirchen, E. S., A. D. McGuire, F. S. Chapin III, S. Yi, and C. C. Thompson. 2009. Changes in vegetation in northern Alaska under scenarios of climate change, 2003-2100: implications for climate feedbacks. Ecological Applications 19: 1022-1043.

Henry, G.H.R. and U. Molau. 1997. Tundra plants and climate change: the international tundra experiment (ITEX). Global Change Biology 3: 1-9.

Menzel, A. and N. Estrella. 2001. Plant Phenological Changes, in Walther, G.-R., Burga, C. A., and Edwards, P.J. (eds.) “Fingerprints” of Climate Change. Adapted Behaviour and Shifting Species Ranges, Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York, London, pp. 123-138.

Point Intercept (PO) Sampling Method. Available online at http://frames.nbii.gov/projects/firemon/POv3_Methods.pdf

Root, T.L., J. T. Price, K. R. Hall, S. H Schneider, C. Rosenzweig, J. A. Pounds. 2003. Fingerprints of global warming on wild animals and plants. Nature 421: 57-60.

Serreze, M.C., J.E. Walsh, F.S. Chapin III, T. Osterkamp, M. Dyurgerov, V. Romanovsky, W.C. Oechel, J. Morison, T. Zhang, and R.G. Barry. 2000. Observational evidence of recent change in the northern high-latitude environment. Climatic Change 46: 159-207.

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Appendix A- Phenology Monitoring Species List, Puale Bay, AK, 2010

Date Family Standard Name/Common Name Apiaceae Angelica lucida /wild celery: H Apiaceae Heracleum lanatum* /cow parsnip: H Apiaceae Ligusticum scoticum /beach lovage: H Asteraceae Alnus crispa /American green OR Sitka alder: W Asteraceae Mertensia maritima maritima /Oysterleaf: H Asteraceae Myositis alpestris asiatica /Forget-me-not: H Asteraceae Barbarea orthoceras /Winter cress: H Asteraceae Campanula lasiocarpa /Mountain harebell: H Asteraceae Honckenya peploides /Sea-beach sandwort: H Asteraceae Silene acaulis /Moss campion: H Betulaceae Aster sibiricus /Siberian aster: H Boraginaceae Senecio pseudo-arnica /Beach fleabane: H Boraginaceae Artemisia arctica arctica /Boreal sagebrush: W Brassicaceae Artemisia tilesii /Common wormwood: H Campanulaceae Solidago multiradiata /Northern goldenrod: H Caryophyllaceae Sedum rosea integrifolium /Roseroot: H Caryophyllaceae Eriophorum russeolum /Alaska cotton: G Crassulaceae Empetrum nigrum /Crowberry: W Cyperaceae Rhododendron c. camtschaticum/Kamchatka rhododendron: W Empetraceae Vaccinium uliginosum microphyllum /Bog blueberry: W Ericaceae Swertia perennis /Star gentian: H Ericaceae Geranium erianthum /Wild geranium: H Fabaceae Lathyrus maritimus /Beach pea: H (W)oody, (H)erbacious, (G)rass/Sedge (V)egetative Stage, (B)ud stage, (F)lowering, (D) Fruit Developing, (R) Fruit Ripened, (W)ithering

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

Appendix A cont.- Phenology Monitoring Species List, Puale Bay, AK, 2010

Date Gentianaceae Iris setosa /Wild iris: H Geraniaceae Pinguicula vulgaris /Common butterwort: H Iridaceae Fritillaria camschatcensis /Chocolate lily: H Lentibulariaceae Epilobium angustifolium* /Tall fireweed: H Liliaceae Elymus arenarius mollis /Beach rye: G Onagraceae Polemonium pulcherrimum /Beautiful Jacob's ladder: H Poaceae Rumex arcticus /Arctic dock: H Polemoniaceae Claytonia sarmentosa /Spring beauty: H Polygonaceae Trientalis europaea arctica /Star flower: H Portulacaceae Aconitum d. delphinifolium /Monkshood: H Primulaceae Dryas octopetala /Eightpetal mountain-avens: W Ranunculaceae Rubus arcticus stellatus /Nagoonberry: W Rosaceae Galium boreale /Northern bedstraw: H Rosaceae Saxifraga bronchialis cherlerioides /Yellow-spotted saxifrage: H Rubiaceae Saxifraga oppositifolia /Purple mountain saxifrage: H Saxifragaceae Pedicularis verticillata/ Whorled lousewort: H Saxifragaceae Pedicularis kanei /Woolly lousewort: H Scrophulariaceae Rhinanthus minor borealis /Rattlebox: H Scrophulariaceae Valeriana capitata /Capitate valerian: H Scrophulariaceae Achillea borealis / Northern yarrow: H Valerianaceae Petasites hyperboreus /Northern coltsfoot: H (W)oody, (H)erbacious, (G)rass/Sedge (V)egetative Stage, (B)ud stage, (F)lowering, (D) Fruit Developing, (R) Fruit Ripened, (W)ithering

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Plant Phenology Puale Bay 2010

Appendix B- Plants observed in proposed phenology monitoring plots

Plot Species Camp Runway Creek Cliff Saddle Wet meadow 57.74603, ‐155.62326 57.74699, ‐155.62665 57.74461, ‐155.62459 57.75095, ‐155.61476 57.74978, ‐155.62044 57.73580, ‐155.63087 Aconitum delphinifolium Y Y N N N N Rhinanthus minor Y N N N N Y Lathyrus maritimus Y N Y N N N Elymus arenaris mollis Y Y Y N N N Angelica lucida Y Y N N N N Ligusticum scoticum Y N N N N N Pedicularis verticillata Y N Y N Y N Achillea borealis Y Y Y N Y Y Geranium erianthum Y Y N N N N Fritillaria camschatcensis Y Y N N N N Empetrum nigrum Y Y N Y Y Y Sedum rosea Y N N Y N N Rubus arcticus stellatus Y Y N N N Y Salix spp. Y Y N Y Y Y Armeria maritima Y Y N N N N Artemesia spp. Y N N N N Y Conioselinum chinense Y N N N N N Minuartia spp. Y N N N Y N Solidago multiradiata N Y N N N Y Alnus crispa N Y N N N Y Heracleum lanatum N Y N N N N Vaccinium uliginosum N Y N Y N N Artemesia tilesii N Y N N N N Trientalis europaea arctica N Y N N N N Silene acaulis N Y N Y Y N Saxifraga oppositifolia N Y N N Y N Epilobium latifolium N Y Y N N N Arnica spp. N Y Y N Y N Androsace chamaejasme N Y N N N N Saxifraga spp. N Y N N N N

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Appendix B cont.- Plants observed in proposed phenology monitoring plots

Plot Species Camp Runway Creek Cliff Saddle Wet meadow 57.74603, ‐155.62326 57.74699, ‐155.62665 57.74461, ‐155.62459 57.75095, ‐155.61476 57.74978, ‐155.62044 57.73580, ‐155.63087 Pea spp. N Y N N Y N Lupinus nootkatensis N Y N N N N Geum rossii N Y N Y N N Mertensia maritima N N Y N N N Polemonium pulcherrimum N N Y N Y N Senecio pseudo‐arnica N N Y N N N Honckenya peploides N N Y N N N Papaver spp. N N Y N N N Rhododendron camtschaticum N N N Y Y N Eriophorum russeolm N N N Y N Y Dryas octopetala N N N Y Y N Saxifraga bronchialis cherlerioides N N N Y Y N Campanula lasiocarpa N N N Y Y N Rumex arcticus N N N Y N Y Pedicularis kanei N N N Y N N Lagotis glauca N N N Y N N Valeriana capitata N N N N N Y Swertia perennis N N N N N Y Pinguicula vulgaris N N N N N Y Iris setosa N N N N N Y Polemonium acutiflorum N N N N N Y Potentilla palustris N N N N N Y Pedicularis langsdorffii N N N N N Y Saxifraga hirculus N N N N Y Y Chrysanthemum arcticum N N N N N Y Ledum palustre N N N N N Y Myosotis alpestris N N N N Y N Senecio resedifolius N N N N Y N

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Appendix C- Twenty randomly selected GPS coordinates representing possible plot locations for monitoring species composition and abundance.

FID LONG LAT HABITAT TYPE* 0 ‐155.626188 57.750323 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 1 ‐155.621990 57.748391 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Other 2 ‐155.627796 57.751366 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 3 ‐155.629112 57.741031 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Lush 4 ‐155.627352 57.748843 Sparse Vegetation 5 ‐155.629155 57.749287 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 6 ‐155.621238 57.751092 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 7 ‐155.626272 57.749332 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 8 ‐155.618975 57.744669 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Other 9 ‐155.617713 57.752539 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 10 ‐155.621844 57.753178 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 11 ‐155.619876 57.752936 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 12 ‐155.620123 57.751854 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 13 ‐155.623252 57.751013 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 14 ‐155.630375 57.739257 Low Shrub ‐ Willow 15 ‐155.621323 57.750488 Sparse Vegetation 16 ‐155.630432 57.749492 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 17 ‐155.622032 57.751437 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Upland 18 ‐155.636410 57.742071 Sparse Vegetation 19 ‐155.629380 57.743599 Dwarf Shrub ‐ Other

* Habitat type from 30m landcover layer.

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Appendix D Point‐Sampling for Vegetation using a Point Intercept Technique

Plot______Date ______

Transect Direction______

Sample Pt. Species Stratum

Additional species present:

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Appendix E Percent Cover Using Point Counts

Date: ______

Plot: ______Observers: ______

SpeciesHits Points per plot Percent Cover

Percent Cover = Number of species "hits"/total points per plot

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